1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing system configured to perform printing of print data by using an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional post-processing apparatus for a printer apparatus has a stacker function that enables an output in a large capacity in the unit of a copy. A stacker apparatus like this includes a plurality of stacking stages.
Furthermore, when an operation for outputting a printed sheet on one stacking stage is currently executed, a stacker apparatus like this enables removal of an output sheet from the other stacking stage without suspending the currently executed printing operation. If the number of sheets to be stacked exceeds a maximum number of stackable sheets, the above-described conventional apparatus automatically continues the output operation by using another stacker, which has a stacking function, in the unit of a predetermined number of copies.
In the above-described post-processing apparatus, if a stacker, which is a target of the automatic switching and used in continuing processing of a job whose number of sheets to be stacked exceeds the maximum number of stackable sheets, is not provided, a message that prompts a user to remove sheets currently stacked on the stacker therefrom is notified to the user. In this case, if it is detected that the discharged sheets have been removed, the above-described post-processing apparatus continues the printing operation.
In executing the above-described operation, in order to produce an output product in the number of copies calculated by dividing the total number of printed copies by a designated number of copies, it is necessary for the user to give an instruction for printing for every designated number of copies.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-285729 discusses a method for controlling a printer driver that sets the number of copies to be output on each of a plurality of paper discharge destinations. More specifically, the control method discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-285729 uses a post-processing apparatus including a plurality of paper discharge bins and sets the number of copies to be output to each paper discharge bin. This conventional method is also useful if the number of copies to be distributed differs for different distribution destinations.
However, the conventional method discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-285729 may not be useful in a printing system in which the total number of copies is divided by the number equivalent to a designated number of copies to produce a large number of print products and the bundles are processed in a lump at the same time by the number of copies calculated by the above-described method. This is because in this case, it is necessary to always generate bundles of the same number of copies.
In order to divide print data generated by an information processing apparatus and output the resulting print products by a designated number of copies, whose number can be calculated by dividing the total number of printed copies by the designated number of copies, according to the purpose of use of the print product, it is necessary that the user is enabled to execute print settings by using a printer driver for executing print settings, which is installed on the information processing apparatus. However, a conventional printer driver like this does not have a function for outputting a print product by every designated number of copies to output the print product in the desired total number of copies.